Knights, Titans play for it all

Published: October 27, 2000 12:00AM

After playing nine games, little has been decided in the Mohican Area Conference's football title race.

Only two teams remain with a shot -- Triway and West Holmes -- and both have been on a collision course since opening league play with convincing wins and following them up with some gutty performances.

The two teams will cross the finish line tonight when they meet at Knight Field in Millersburg in a game that will decide the undisputed MAC champion and the fate of both team's postseason hopes.

West Holmes, the defending league champion, enters the 36th edition of the backyard series 8-1 overall and ranked ninth in the AP Div. III state poll. The Titans are 8-1, ranked 13th in Div. III and are tied with the Knights with an identical 4-0 mark in the conference.

Despite spanning some 35 years and two leagues, this is just the second time the two teams have met with a league title and playoff berth at stake. In Week 4 of the 1993 season, West Holmes beat Triway 14-6. The Knights went on to win the title by a game over the Titans and both teams made the playoffs.

The fact everything is riding on the final game between archrivals has heightened the feud among the communities, but hasn't taken hold with either coach.

"There is no difference in what we have to do to win this game than any other game we've played," said West Holmes coach Bob Maltarich, whose team needs a win to earn a berth in the Div. III, Region 11 playoff field. "The only difference is what we get out of it.

"People can talk about this game being for the MAC title and the playoffs, but as a coach, you approach it as any other game. We aren't changing anything or placing any more emphasis on things. We just have to go play."

The all-time series, which began in 1965, is led by West Holmes (19-15-1), which has won eight of the 11 meetings in the MAC and 11 of the last 14 overall.

The Titans, who went 3-7 last season and were picked to finish fifth in the six-team league in the preseason, are one win shy of matching the school record for wins a season, and one shy of their second MAC title.

"Everything we do in this program is geared to being in games like this," Triway's fifth-year coach Jeff Souers said. "I feel like we have put ourselves in a position we don't have to depend on anyone else. It's down to two teams.

"We have to play with confidence and play as smart as we possibly can and let the chips fall where they may."

The Titans will have their work cut out trying to contain West Holmes' vaunted offense that is fueled by two of the fastest running backs in the region in Nolan Mackey and Rod Taylor.

Mackey, a Div. II state qualifier in the 200, and Taylor have combined for 2,178 yards and 28 rushing touchdowns and average over 7 yards a carry. A seam is all they need to take it the distance.

What has made it tough for opponents to slow the dangerous duo has been the development of quarterback Matt Cohen and the passing game. The senior has thrown for 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns and has a fleet-footed flanker in Lance Kandel (22 catches, 527 yards, 8 TDs).

The Knights' offense leads the league in total offense (428 yards/game) and points (35.3 points/game).

Triway's defense has been stingy and opportunistic. The unit is allowing 200 yards a game and has helped the Titans to a comfortable plus-16 in the turnover ratio, including a school record eight interceptions by cornerback Joe Dunlap.

"We have found ways to win when we haven't been at our best and a lot of that is due to the defense," Souers said. "We have made plays when we've had to.

"West Holmes certainly is our biggest challenge of the season. But, along with that challenge, this is also our greatest opportunity."

The Titans aren't a prolific scoring team despite averaging 27.7 points a game. Instead, they rely on controlling the clock, winning field position and limiting mistakes.

Halfback Josh Garrison, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound workhorse, is the heart and soul of Triway's offense. The senior has rushed for 1,218 yards and a school-record 23 touchdowns despite being a marked man.

On the season, Garrison has been held to under 100 yards in just two games, one of which was a 21-20 loss to Tusky Valley in Week 5.

The Titans will operate against a defense that has allowed just 31 points in the first half all season and 167 yards total offense a game.

Garrison is the best back the Knights have faced this season. Stopping him is a monumental task, especially considering the other weapons the Titans have.

"I'm not only concerned about stopping Garrison, I'm concerned about a lot of things they've done to get here," said Maltarich, whose team has allowed just two 100-yard rushers. "They have more than one kid that can hurt you. Those fullbacks, Chad Miller and Matt Meggyesy, are big kids. They don't carry it a lot, but when they do, they are good. And, Troy Burkhart is a great athlete at quarterback and Dunlap is quick at the wing. That's what makes Triway good. You can't overlook anyone."

It's a classic matchup of speed against power, and typically in games such as this, where the rivals are evenly matched, it's the team that can limit its mistakes and control their emotions that comes out on top.

"We can't play tight and be afraid of making mistakes because that's when most mistakes happen," Souers said. "This is the type of situation you want to be in. This is what we've worked for, but we still have to have fun.

"We have to realize we are where we want to be and make the most of it."